


Step three: Clear the air

by violetbear



Series: Two worlds collide [10]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 17:00:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14289318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetbear/pseuds/violetbear
Summary: Reyes and Scott talk. Reyes and SAM talk. And the pancakes make a return appearance. Kind of. It's the finale of the series, just go with it.





	Step three: Clear the air

Reyes walked back into the bedroom, a washcloth in his hand. He smiled at the sight before him. Scott was naked, face down on the bed, a fresh bite mark on his shoulder.  
“Isn’t this a pretty picture”, he murmured, sitting down the bed. “You okay?”  
“Yeah”, Scott sighed. “Just exhausted. Someone was rougher than usual.”  
“Someone couldn’t help themselves.” He brushed the washcloth over the bite mark, wincing himself when he heard Scott hiss. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to break the skin. Not that SAM can’t handle it but why make him work harder?”  
“My perfect gentleman.”  
“Yep. Wreck you then fix you up. Flip over.”

Scott did so, smiling at him, eyes half closed. His hair was mussed, strands falling over his face.  
“I love you.”  
“Baby, you’re wrecked.” He kissed his nose. “Mission accomplished. Let’s get you cleaned up.”  
“Mmmm”, Scott moaned as he ran the washcloth over him. “Feels so good.”  
“Good. I’d stop with the noises though. Unless you feel up to going again.”  
“Too tired”, Scott yawned.  
“So same as before. Told you were still human.” He threw the washcloth on the bedside table. “You’re just as tired as we usually are.”  
“You more than...” Scott blinked at him. “Reyes—“  
He leaned down and kissed him.  
“I love you, Scott Vidal.”  
Scott smiled at him, running a hand down the side of his face.  
“Love you, Reyes Ryder.”  
“Both work.” He kissed him again before sitting back up. “We’ll discuss it later. Your brain is too fried right now.”  
“Like the nomad is. Was.” He frowned. “Which one is it?”  
“Sleep, my love.” He pulled the blankets over him and tucked him in tight. “We’ll have breakfast when you wake up.” He watched as Scott closed his eyes, waiting to hear Scott’s breathe slow before he sighed. “This day sure took a turn.” 

When Scott had tensed under him that morning he was sure SAM had told him of Reyes’s part in keeping him alive. He had thought Scott was about to scream at him for making that decision for him. He thought Scott was going to break up with him. Over that or because he finally realized what Reyes always knew. Scott could do better. The hero of the cluster deserved better than him.  
But when he finally left a moment for Scott to speak... Hearing Scott call himself those things had hurt him. He had never thought that Scott would think like that. Had he missed something in their talks? Perhaps he had.

After he had been shoved out of the room by the doctors he hadn’t had a chance to see Scott again until the victory party. Every time he had gone to visit, he had been told Scott wasn’t up for visitors. Turns out they hadn’t meant all visitors. Just him.  
His last attempt at a visit, he was met at the door of the med bay by Tann. Damn politicians. Tann told him it wouldn’t do to have the Pathfinder date the Charlatan. Once Scott was better he would see that for himself. And as long as Scott as in said med bay, he wouldn’t be allowed in. He might as well go back to Kadara and forget about whatever he thought they had.

Reyes had ignored him and stayed on Meridian, sleeping in Scott’s room on the Tempest and getting updates from SAM and the rest of Scott’s crew. When he had been released from med bay, Tann kept Scott busy. He assigned a bodyguard to Scott; saying just because Scott had been moved from med bay didn’t mean he was one hundred percent again. Reyes knew the real reason. The bodyguard reported to Tann after all. So Reyes waited.

Seeing Scott at the celebrations again after so long had been amazing. He had seemed just like his old self. His sweet, adorable boy. But there were too many eyes on them for anything more than a playful flirt. Scott got called away but promised to be back as soon as he could. Reyes had settled down for a long wait, knowing this was many of the second wave colonists first time seeing the Pathfinder. Their first glimpse of a hero. Not that Scott saw himself that way. Reyes knew all of them would want to say a few words to him. 

He had been laughing at Scott’s attempts to free himself from one of said colonists when he saw Tann walking his way. Knowing the director would love to make a scene and have him dragged out of there, he decided to finally listen to Tann. He slipped away and made his way to his shuttle. On Kadara there would be no directors. He would have Scott all to himself. Just as soon as he landed on the planet.  
But then months passed with no visit. The human Pathfinder never even came to Kadara. If a Pathfinder was needed Tann sent one of the others. Scott expressed his frustrations over the situation with every email he sent and every call he made. Scott’s frustration made Reyes’s heart sing because it proved Tann wrong. Scott wouldn’t forget about him. He still wanted him. He still loved him. So Reyes brought the ring and planned for the day the Tempest landed on Kadara again.

Now it had. Well, not exactly but Scott was here, asleep in his bed. The ring was on his finger but Reyes was now worried. Not about losing Scott. Scott’s reaction to SAM’s help worried him. Who had put those thoughts in Scott’s head? It couldn’t just be Scott. Could it?

“SAM, I need to ask you something”, he whispered, not wanting to wake Scott.  
“Of course.” SAM’s voice came through his omni-tool, something that had never happened before. “What do you need?”  
He walked out of the bedroom and saw their breakfast still on the table.  
“Hold just a second, SAM. Need to clean up first.”  
“I’m here when you need me.”  
He quickly cleaned up, walking to the living room when he was done.

“Since when are you connected to my omni-tool, SAM”, he asked, sitting down on the couch.  
“Since Meridian. And the connection is only fully active when Scott is on Kadara. He asked me to do it. I can also relay Scott’s vital signs to you when he isn’t on Kadara. If you don’t like it I can disconnect. Scott just wanted—“  
“To make it easier for me to reach him. So I’d worry less.”  
“Exactly.”  
“Could he be anymore perfect”, he murmured. Scott had seen what he tried to hide. His fear of finding out his love was badly injured or dead from a news bulletin. This way he had a direct connection to Scott at all times. Or at least SAM. Speaking of.

“SAM, did you hear what Scott said?”  
“I did not. Unless called upon all my logs are shut off.”  
That brought up an interesting question.  
“Have your logs been on before? When Scott and I were together?” That could be how Tann knew he was the Charlatan.  
“Negative. From your first night together, my logs have been shut off when you two were together. Scott didn’t want anything you told him to get back to the Initiative. To be used against you. His orders were quite clear.”  
“Well, they know I’m the Charlatan now so it doesn’t really matter anymore.”  
“My orders still stand.” 

He ran a hand through his hair. “Scott said...” Remembering made him angry all over again. And this time there was no Scott to distract him. “He said he isn’t fully himself anymore. Fully human. Did you know he felt like that? He also called himself a—“  
“Hybrid?”  
“Yes.”  
“Tann.”  
“What did that bastard say to him?”  
“I think it was one last attempt to separate you two. It has been six months since he told both of you to stay away. I think he’s getting desperate. He sent an email to Scott right before we landed on Elaaden. “  
“He called him a hybrid?”  
“Among other things. All of what Scott said Tann called him in the email. Reyes, Scott is—“  
“How dare that slimy bottom feeder?! Scott gave everything for the Initiative. None of us would still be alive if not for Scott. He suffered horribly because of the Archon. If I hadn’t told you to take over his system, would Tann have-“

“That was you?” Scott’s whisper felt like a dagger to his heart. “You told SAM to do this to me?”  
“My love, let me explain.” Before he could get off the couch Scott crossed the room and sat beside him, looking down at the floor.  
“When all the doctors finally left me, Lexi remained behind. She explained what SAM had to do so I could live. Told me the council was meeting to decide if he should be allowed to do it but something must have happened to make SAM act. Turns out that something was you.” Scott finally looked at him, tears in his eyes. “I just want to know why. Why did you do it? Is Tann right? Do you only fuck me so you have an in with the Initiative?”  
“Tann said? SAM!”  
“I might have left that part out.”

“Baby, look at me.” He grabbed both of Scott’s hands and turned to face him. “I love you. We were going to lose you. I couldn’t wait to see what the council decided. What if they decided to let you die?”  
“You love me for me”, Scott sniffed, pulling his hands away to swipe at his tears.  
“I would have given Kadara to the Archon to keep you safe. Scott, I love you because you’re you. No matter what Tann tries to say or how much SAM takes over, I will always love you. You’re my home. You make me a better man.”

Scott kissed him, his hands on either side of his face.  
“I’m sorry.” He kissed him again. “I’m such a fool. Thank you.”  
“For what”, he asked, wiping the rest of Scott’s tears away.  
“For not giving up on me. For loving me. Evan after SAM—“  
“Baby, I’ve loved you since the second time I saw you.”  
“That wasn’t love.” Scott snuggled close, his breathe hot on Reyes’s neck. “That was lust.”  
“I believe you are mistaken.”His hand trailed down Scott’s chest towards the pants Scott had thrown on. “Let me show you what lust actually is”, he growled, his hand on the waistband.  
“Going to back me against the wall and have your way with me, my king?” Scott nipped at his neck. “Wreck your queen again?”  
“Yes”, he breathed.  
“Maybe later.” 

Scott pushed off him and stood up. “What’s for breakfast”, he asked, walking to the kitchen. “I’m starving.”  
Reyes just sat there, stunned by the sudden turn.  
“Seriously?” He turned to glare at Scott behind him in the kitchen. “Did you just—“  
“Yep.” Scott smirked at him. “That’s for not telling me it was you. I’ll think of a way to punish SAM later. But first.” He opened the fridge and looked inside. “Where did those pancakes get to?”

**Author's Note:**

> The end. Thank you for reading this series. For your kudos and your comments. Every one made me smile. I loved writing these two. Hope you stick around for my other stories.


End file.
